


Of Houses In Wizardry

by Emme2589



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Gen, Harry Potter AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-10 21:13:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18415955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emme2589/pseuds/Emme2589
Summary: Hershel is scared he will be sorted into Slytherin. Harry Potter AU one shot.





	Of Houses In Wizardry

A long silence stretched throughout the grand hall. All the first years, eleven years of age, lined up behind the chair with the old, dusty hat on it. It sang its song as young Hershel Layton’s stomach twisted into painful knots. He stared ahead, watching Desmond Sycamore as he was first in line. He exuded confidence, which seemed to put a few of the other nervous students at ease.

 _“I hope I'm sorted into Slytherin.”_ his previous words echoed in Hershel's head, _“They have the most cunning minds, and the purest of bloods. Perfect for an intellectual like me.”_

The words hit him harder than he was expecting. Should he know which house he wanted from the start? He had been puzzling over it since he had received a strange letter in the mail, explaining a secret school for young wizards. He had already known he was adopted, but he never would have imagined that magic was real, and that both of his birth parents were wizards! Not only that, but he was a wizard too! It was exciting, but also overwhelming.

His parents were shocked at the news, but they were supportive of course, as they always were. They helped him with figuring out all he needed to know in order to get to Diagon Alley and collect the things he would need, using money from a vault left behind by his late birth mother.

Gryffindors were brave and virtuous. Ravenclaws were sharp and intelligent. Hufflepuffs were loyal, kind, and hardworking. Hershel held all of these virtues, so it was tough to know how the hat would decide which house was best.

But Slytherins...the ones with the purest blood...well, Hershel was a pureblood of course, but somehow, that designation didn't sit right with him. Having pure blood was no choice, after all. Sure, he'd also heard that they were cunning and sneaky, but he didn't hear much else besides that. The only one he'd heard speak of Slytherin in a particularly good light was Desmond Sycamore.

“Oh dear.”

Another youth, a redhead by the name of Randall Ascot, was in line in front of him. The two had already met on the train, and he made Hershel feel a little less out-of-place, despite his grandiose nature.

“That's a Sycamore, alright.” Randall whispered in Hershel's ear, “If he gets anything but Slytherin, he'll be disowned. I've seen it happen with a bloke called Leon.”

Doctor Schrader was the one who held the sorting hat for each new student. He called out the first name, “Desmond Sycamore!”

Desmond sat down with a flourish, and Schrader set the hat on his head. It had barely even brushed the boy's curly hair when the hat cried out, “SLYTHERIN!”

“Yes!” Desmond quickly sauntered over the Slytherin table, where the other Slytherins were applauding as they welcomed him into their ranks. The rest of the tables clapped politely.

Randall tsked, “I don't like him. Nobody comes out of Slytherin the same. They're all bad news, the lot of them.”

Hershel swallowed.

“Melina Whistler!”

The next student up was a quiet blonde with regal features. It took a bit longer this time, but the hat eventually cried out, “HUFFLEPUFF!”

“That's good. I like her.” Randall was very talkative, but Hershel didn't mind, “I'm hoping for Ravenclaw, but don't worry too much if you don't get it, so long as you aren't in Slytherin.”

He ended up commenting on every student, and it was a suitable distraction from Hershel's own nervousness.

Down the line, each student went, “Claire Foley!”

A girl with red hair and round glasses. Her eyes were shyly trained on the ground, but she kept a soft smile on her face, “RAVENCLAW!”

“Cool! I know her! She's crazy, but like, cool crazy.”

“Janice Quatlane!”

Next was another redhead. Hershel recognized her as a student from his old primary school. Maybe she was muggleborn? Or raised by muggles like him? “HUFFLEPUFF!”

“I knew she'd make a great Hufflepuff! She's intense, but she's a total sweetheart!”

“Clark Triton!”

A bright lad who was dressed in blue on the train, with his hair turned up in the back. He walked with ease, clearly excited, but Hershel could see the stiffness in his joints, “RAVENCLAW!”

“I hope Clark is as good with a wand as he is with that mask. He was practically shaking in his seat on the train.”

“Angela Monty!”

Randall's friend Angela wore a red dress for the occasion, underneath her robes. She let her platinum blonde hair hide her face somewhat, but she tried to stand tall regardless, “RAVENCLAW!”

“Sweet! Now I'm _really_ hoping for Ravenclaw!”

“Emmeline Altava!”

A brunette previously all in yellow. She was clearly far more confident than previous new students, sitting on the edge of the chair with her back arched and her chin high, “RAVENCLAW!”

“Really? Ravenclaw for Emmy? I would have expected her to be in Gryffindor. Oh well, I really shouldn't complain. She's good to have on your side.”

“Brenda Penford!”

A shorter girl with hair swept to the side. She smiled too, though her eyes were a little sad. She carried less anxiety than some previous students, but she was still clearly anxious, “RAVENCLAW!”

“Sweet. I think Clark is her childhood friend, by the way. There are a lot of Ravenclaws this year, aren't there? How exciting!”

The person in front of Randall went next. The realization that it was close to Hershel's turn made his palms sweat.

“Oh! Henry is next!” Randall crosses his fingers, “Ravenclaw… _Ravenclaw...”_

“Henry Ledore!”

Henry always struck Hershel as...uptight? That wasn't really fair, the two had only met on the train, but Henry didn't talk to anyone besides Randall and Angela, and he barely ever smiled, and his eyes were so cold and distant-!

“RAVENCLAW!”

“Aw yeah!” Randall watched Henry keep his poise as he retreated to the appropriate table, “Perfect! Are you ready, Hersh?”

Hershel shrugged, “I guess...”

“Aw, it's okay. It's not scary.”

“Randall Ascot!”

“That's me!” Randall gave Hershel a comforting pat on the back before taking his seat on the chair. The hat was set on his head, and Hershel realized he could hear the hat's mumbling.

“Oh, I see...” it shifted on Randall's head, “You would do well in Gryffindor...no? No, you're right, that's no good...I suppose it'll beee...”

Hershel took a startled step back as the hat found its verdict, “RAVENCLAW!”

“Yeah!” Randall jumped from the chair, “Woo! You're next, Hersh! And remember; it's not scary!”

He took his seat between Angela and Henry, giving a big thumbs up to the two students that were left.

“Hershel Layton!”

Hershel looked behind him, where a kid named Alphonse was waiting.

“Go on, then.” he said, “Bratscot is right. It's not as scary as it seems.”

Hershel moved forward slowly, feeling all the eyes on him from all corners of the grand hall. He must have held fear in his gaze, because Schrader gave him a kind smile through his beard.

“It's alright, Hershel.” he gestured to the chair, the hat in his other hand, “This is a puzzle with no wrong answers.”

 _Except for Slytherin._ Hershel felt a chill pass through him as he sat in the chair. The hat was gently set on his head, and it nearly covered his eyes with how big it was. That was fine, as Hershel had planned to close his eyes anyway due to how nervous all the staring made him.

“Oh...oh dear...” the sorting hat grumbled, “Now this is a conundrum...”

Hershel didn't like the sound of that. He twiddled his thumbs in his lap, resisting the urge to tilt his head down.

“I see...you would do well in Ravenclaw. You are very smart and you possess great puzzle-solving potential, but what about Hufflepuff and Gryffindor? You are kind and loyal, brave to be sure. And Slytherin...? You are so balanced, I have no idea where to put you...”

Hershel fidgeted in his seat. The hat slipped further over his eyes. He began to shake. Nobody else had taken this long.

“I think...” the hat paused in its dilemma, “I think you would do best in Slytherin...”

A shock of horror hit Hershel in the stomach. His eyes briefly met Sycamore's in the crowd.

_“Nobody comes out of Slytherin the same. They're all bad news, the lot of them.”_

__

__

_Please no._ Hershel found himself thinking desperately, _Not Slytherin._

“Are you sure?” the hat replied aloud to his internal plea, “You really would do very well there.”

 _I don't care._ His lip quivered, _I don't want to be corrupted. I don't want to be bad._

“Now, young man, that is no way to think of Slytherin at all!” the hat sighed, as if planning a monologue, “Well, alright. If you're sure, then it better be...RAVENCLAW!”

A rush of air left Hershel's lungs. Everyone was clapping again, but Randall was clapping the loudest. He stood up to wave the other boy down, and as soon as the fabric of the hat left Hershel's head, he made a beeline for Randall. There was an empty chair beside Angela, next to Claire, so he took it, glad that he could finally relax.

“See?” Randall leaned on the table, “That wasn't so bad, was it?”

Hershel nodded, “It was just all the people watching me. It was a bit unnerving.”

“Alphonse Dalston!”

Hershel was just glad the hard part was over. His eyes met Sycamore's again, and somehow...his gaze was more intense than before.

Yikes. Had he just made a new enemy?

“RAVENCLAW!”

“So many Ravenclaws this year!” Randall cleared a spot for Dalston, “Oh! Can you imagine Quidditch tryouts this year!?”

“Maybe you could be the seeker, Randall.” Claire said.

“Oh no. I wouldn't fit as a seeker.” Randall applauded until Dalston had joined their table, “I'd rather be a beater or a chaser. I like to be in the action, you know?”

Hershel rested his elbows on the table, his chin in his hands, “What's Quidditch?”

“Oh! The things I could tell you about Quidditch!” Randall gently elbowed Henry, who offered his first genuine smile that Hershel had seen, “So you have five balls in play, right? The quaffle, the three bludgers...”

Randall continued to try and explain Quidditch even as the banquet was filled and everyone began to eat, and Hershel did his best to listen around the baked chicken and fresh buttered bread.

Hershel had never been so far from home before, and yet, somehow, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was already embedding itself into his heart as a place of comfort.

He couldn't wait for the rest of the year.

***


End file.
